Easy Chiropractic Exercises At Home During Self Isolation

In such a health-conscious time, it can be hard to know where to turn with so much health advice out there. With so many people working from home during social distancing, or practicing isolation and not able to do their usual exercise routine, we wanted to help find the best chiropractic exercises recommended by qualified chiropractors. Not only will these help to keep you in shape, they will help to reduce some of the strain on your spine from your usual everyday activities.

If you have ever suffered from back, neck, or shoulder pain, or simply want to improve your health and posture, then this post is for you. Here are our top ten chiropractic exercises that are quick, easy, and suitable for all athletic abilities and fitness levels.

Practicing these exercises each day will help you to feel healthier, train yourself for better posture, and ultimately prevent joint or spinal pain during quarantine.

Lower Back Exercises – 3 exercises

• Knees to chest

1. 1. First, lie down on the floor.
   2. With your knees bent, place your feet on the floor with your lower back relaxed.
   3. Then, tighten your abdominal muscles.
   4. Bring both of your knees up towards your chest, holding on behind or on top of your knees (whichever is more comfortable).
   5. Remember to keep your back against the floor, and prevent this from arching upward.
   6. You should feel a slight stretch through your low back muscles. Don’t strain yourself too much – if you feel any discomfort, reduce the lift on your knees and repeat slowly.

• Gluteal stretch

1. 1. Similar to the first exercise, lie down on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
   2. Place one ankle to rest on top of the opposite knee. You should feel a stretch through your buttock – if so, hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
   3. If you don’t feel a stretch, reach your hand behind your knee and gently pull your knee up towards your chest. 
   4. Remember to keep your hips straight, and keep your lower back pressed against the floor – again, no arching upward.
   5. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, and repeat the stretch twice on each side.

• Trunk arching

1. 1. Kneel down on all fours.
   2. Arch your back up (similar to a cat), and hold this pose for 5 seconds.
   3. Then, gently lower your stomach towards the ground, and hold this pose for 10 seconds.
   4. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Upper Back Exercises – 3 exercises

• Upper back stretch 

1. 1. To start, sit down on a chair and hold your hands behind you with your palms facing away from you. 
   2. Lower your head so that your chin is touching your chest. 
   3. Roll your upper back gently to stretch the muscles in your neck, shoulders and upper back. 
   4. Repeat this exercise in sets of 5 through the day.

• Opposite arm/leg raise

1. 1. Get on your hands and knees, keeping your spine straight, with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
   2. Slowly reach out with one arm while extending the leg on the opposite side. Keep both straight and level.
   3. Hold this position while taking a few deep breaths, then gently lower your arm and leg back to your starting position.
   4. Repeat this exercise using your opposite arm/leg.
   5. Aim for 10 to 15 reps on each side.

• Corner stretch

1. 1. Facing the corner of a room, place your feet together leaving approximately an arm’s length of space from the corner.
   2. Place a forearm on each wall, and keep your elbows slightly below shoulder height.
   3. Lean forward until you feel your chest and shoulders stretching. Keep your body straight but relaxed, similar to when you’re standing at ease.
   4. Hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds before returning back to starting position.

Shoulder And Neck Exercises – 2 exercises

• Neck range of motion

1. 1. Turn head slowly and fully to the right
   2. Gently bring back to centre and then turn slowly to the left – repeat each side 2x
   3. Gently tilt head towards right shoulder without lifting shoulder up
   4. Bring head back to centre and gently tilt head to left shoulder and the back to centre. Repeat x2
   5. This exercise ideally should be done every hour.

• Shoulder shrugs 

1. 1. Sit on a chair and drop your arms down to your sides.
   2. Sitting up straight, stretch your shoulder backwards and up toward your ears.
   3. Squeeze the muscles as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds, then gently return to your starting position.
   4. Aim for 10 repetitions.

• Marching in place

1. 1. Standing in front of a mirror, raise your right leg and left arm nice and high, even with the floor
   2. Then alternate with the left leg and right arm.
   3. Go at a pace that you can perform comfortably and without falling out of rhythm or pace
   4. Use a timer and march for the length of time determined by your chiropractor.
   5. Repeat daily

Posture Exercises – 2 exercises

• Shoulder blade squeeze

1. 1. To start, sit comfortably on a chair with your arms relaxed by your sides.
   2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, without raising them. 
   3. Hold this stretch for 8 seconds before returning to your starting position. 
   4. Repeat 5 times to complete 1 set. 
   5. Aim for 3-4 sets throughout the day, depending on your comfort level.

• Chest stretch

1. 1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your legs spread, keeping them slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 
   2. Face your palms upwards, and raise your chest to face up towards the ceiling. 
   3. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, before returning to starting position. 
   4. Repeat this exercise 3 times throughout the day.

Additional (helpful) resources:

• https://youtu.be/pCjcyqEBBSc
• https://chirocareflorida.com/chiropractor-recommended-stretches